The Little Mermaid · chapter 5 of 5
Sea Foam
海上的泡沫
On the prince's wedding night the sisters bring a knife, and the little mermaid must choose between her own life and his.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 婚礼那天的晚上，船上有音乐，有灯，还有很多人在笑。
Hūnlǐ nà tiān de wǎnshang, chuán shàng yǒu yīnyuè, yǒu dēng, háiyǒu hěn duō rén zài xiào.
On the night of the wedding, the ship was full of music and lights, and many people were laughing.
- The Little Mermaid 今天是最后一个晚上。太阳出来以后，我就会变成泡沫。
Jīntiān shì zuìhòu yí gè wǎnshang. Tàiyáng chūlái yǐhòu, wǒ jiù huì biànchéng pàomò.
Tonight is my last night. When the sun comes up, I will turn into foam.
- The Little Mermaid 婚礼很美，灯很亮，可是我的心很冷。
Hūnlǐ hěn měi, dēng hěn liàng, kěshì wǒ de xīn hěn lěng.
The wedding is beautiful and the lights are bright, but my heart is so cold.
Chapter 5 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of The Little Mermaid is free, and so are The Second Cup of Tea, Mulan, The Butterfly Lovers, Journey to the West: The Monkey King, Cinderella, The Night of the Nian, Chang'e and the Moon, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, Aesop's Fables, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, The Ugly Duckling, Pangu and Nüwa: How the World Began, Beauty and the Beast, The Magic Lotus Lantern, Alice in Wonderland, Zhong Kui the Demon Queller, The Odyssey, Robin Hood, Jiang Ziya Goes Fishing, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Kitchen God from start to finish.
- The Little Mermaid 可是我不后悔。我看见过他笑。
Kěshì wǒ bú hòuhuǐ. Wǒ kànjiàn guò tā xiào.
But I don't regret it. I got to see him smile.
- Eldest Sister 小妹！小妹！这里！
Xiǎomèi! Xiǎomèi! Zhèlǐ!
Little sister! Little sister! Down here!
- The Little Mermaid 姐姐们？你们怎么在这里？你们的头发呢？
Jiějie men? Nǐmen zěnme zài zhèlǐ? Nǐmen de tóufa ne?
Sisters? What are you doing here? Where is your hair?
- Eldest Sister 我们把头发给了女巫，她给了我们这把刀。
Wǒmen bǎ tóufa gěi le nǚwū, tā gěi le wǒmen zhè bǎ dāo.
We gave our hair to the witch, and she gave us this knife.
- Eldest Sister 太阳出来以前，你用它伤了王子，就能回到海里，还是我们的小妹。
Tàiyáng chūlái yǐqián, nǐ yòng tā shāng le Wángzǐ, jiù néng huídào hǎi lǐ, háishi wǒmen de xiǎomèi.
Before the sun comes up, use it on the prince and you can come back to the sea and be our little sister again.
- Eldest Sister 快去吧！我们不想没有你！
Kuài qù ba! Wǒmen bù xiǎng méiyǒu nǐ!
Hurry, go! We don't want to lose you!
- The Little Mermaid 可是……他对我那么好……
Kěshì… Tā duì wǒ nàme hǎo…
But... he has been so kind to me...
- The Little Mermaid 姐姐们……
Jiějie men…
Sisters...
- Narrator 她拿着刀，走进了那个安静的小房间。
Tā ná zhe dāo, zǒujìn le nà ge ānjìng de xiǎo fángjiān.
She took the knife and stepped into the quiet little room.
- The Prince 公主……我的公主……
Gōngzhǔ… Wǒ de Gōngzhǔ…
Princess... my princess...
- The Little Mermaid 他睡得这么好。他梦见的不是我。
Tā shuì de zhème hǎo. Tā mèngjiàn de bú shì wǒ.
He's sleeping so soundly. He isn't dreaming of me.
- The Little Mermaid 只要一下，我就可以回家，回到奶奶身边……
Zhǐyào yíxià, wǒ jiù kěyǐ huíjiā, huídào nǎinai shēnbiān…
Just one moment, and I could go home, back to Grandmother...
- The Prince 我好开心……
Wǒ hǎo kāixīn…
I'm so happy...
- The Little Mermaid 不。他的笑，是我最喜欢的东西。我做不到。
Bù. Tā de xiào, shì wǒ zuì xǐhuan de dōngxi. Wǒ zuò bú dào.
No. His smile is the thing I love most. I can't do it.
- The Little Mermaid 对不起，姐姐。对不起，奶奶。
Duìbùqǐ, jiějie. Duìbùqǐ, nǎinai.
I'm sorry, sisters. I'm sorry, Grandmother.
- The Little Mermaid 再见了，王子。愿你永远开心。
Zàijiàn le, Wángzǐ. Yuàn nǐ yǒngyuǎn kāixīn.
Goodbye, Prince. May you always be happy.
- Narrator 太阳出来了。她跳进海里，身体变成了白色的泡沫。
Tàiyáng chūlái le. Tā tiào jìn hǎi lǐ, shēntǐ biànchéng le báisè de pàomò.
The sun rose. She leapt into the sea, and her body turned into white foam.
- The Little Mermaid 咦？我没有死！我能听见，也能说话了！
Yí? Wǒ méiyǒu sǐ! Wǒ néng tīngjiàn, yě néng shuōhuà le!
Oh? I'm not dead! I can hear, and I can speak again!
- Daughter of the Air 别怕，小人鱼。我们是空气的女儿。
Bié pà, Xiǎo Rényú. Wǒmen shì kōngqì de nǚ'ér.
Don't be afraid, little mermaid. We are the daughters of the air.
- Daughter of the Air 你没有伤害他。有一颗好心的人鱼，会有新的路。
Nǐ méiyǒu shānghài tā. Yǒu yìkē hǎo xīn de rényú, huì yǒu xīn de lù.
You didn't hurt him. A mermaid with a good heart finds a new path.
- The Little Mermaid 我在天上？我看见太阳了……还有云！
Wǒ zài tiānshàng? Wǒ kànjiàn tàiyáng le… Háiyǒu yún!
I'm in the sky? I can see the sun... and the clouds!
- Daughter of the Air 我们做三百年的好事，就会有灵魂，可以去天上的家。你也可以。
Wǒmen zuò sān bǎi nián de hǎoshì, jiù huì yǒu línghún, kěyǐ qù tiānshàng de jiā. Nǐ yě kěyǐ.
If we do good deeds for three hundred years, we get a soul and can go to our home in the heavens. You can too.
- The Little Mermaid 三百年……我不怕。我做过更难的事。
Sān bǎi nián… Wǒ bú pà. Wǒ zuò guò gèng nán de shì.
Three hundred years... I'm not afraid. I've done harder things.
- The Little Mermaid 你们看，船上的人在笑。再见了，王子，公主。
Nǐmen kàn, chuán shàng de rén zài xiào. Zàijiàn le, Wángzǐ, Gōngzhǔ.
Look, the people on the ship are smiling. Goodbye, Prince, Princess.
- Daughter of the Air 走吧，小人鱼。风在叫我们了。
Zǒu ba, Xiǎo Rényú. Fēng zài jiào wǒmen le.
Come, little mermaid. The wind is calling us.
- The Little Mermaid 姐姐，奶奶，我很好！我会记得你们！
Jiějie, nǎinai, wǒ hěn hǎo! Wǒ huì jìde nǐmen!
Sisters, Grandmother, I'm fine! I'll remember you!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What did the sisters give the witch for the knife?
“我们把头发给了女巫，她给了我们这把刀。”
- What does the prince say in his sleep?
“公主……我的公主……”
- Why does the mermaid put the knife away?
“他的笑，是我最喜欢的东西。我做不到。”
- Who lifts her up after she becomes foam?
“我们是空气的女儿。”
- What can she get by doing good for three hundred years?
“就会有灵魂，可以去天上的家。”